The above is an illustration from Les Singuliers et Nouveaux Pourtraicts by Federico de Vinciolo, 1587. It’s a pattern for reticella, an early form of needle lace.

So what precisely is reticella? It’s actually an extreme form of drawn thread work, wherein most of the threads in the interior of the piece are drawn out. The few remaining threads are then embroidered over in fanciful patterns, like the one above.

While its general popularity waned by the middle of the 17th century, reticella has continued to be practiced by needleworkers all over the world.

For instance, this exquisite 46″ cloth dates from the late 19th century.

And it’s still being practiced today, as evidenced by this charming sachet pattern available for purchase from Scrappykatz Craft Barn:

This entry was posted
on Friday, January 28th, 2011 at 1:28 pm by Twistie and is filed under Inspiration Gallery, Lace, Needle Lace.
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One Response to “Inspiration Gallery: Reticella”

I have to say, even when the craft you feature on the blog isn’t something I’m necessarily interested in getting involved in, I always love learning more about them. I’m looking forward to more posts like this.

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